New Rochelle and Echo Bay Harbors, New York
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FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT NEW ROCHELLE AND ECHO BAY HARBORS, NEW YORK Prepared by U.S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 4 April 1973 NEW ROCHELLE AND ECHO DAY HARBORS, NEW YORK SUMMARY SH5ET ( ) Draft (X) Final Environmental Statement Responsible Office: U.S. Army Engineer District, New York, N.Y. 1. Name of Action: (X) Administrative ( ) Legislative 2. Description of Ant ion: Construction of an anchorage area and access channel in Echo Bay, New York. 3a. Environmental Impacts: Modification of the existing project would enhance the long-term value of Echo Bay as a recreational boating resource. There will be temporary impacts on water quality during construction. 3b. Adverse Environmental Effects: A temporary increase in turbidity during dredging is expected,'but the impact, if any, on fish life should be localized and of short duration. Dredged spoil would be disposed of in the approved dumping grounds in the New York Bight. 4. Alternatives: The following alternative plans were considered: a. A smaller anchorage area than the one proposed. b. No modification of existing project. c. Alternative methods for spoil disposal. 5. Comments Received: FEDERAL AGENCIES Department of Health, Education and Welfare Assistant Secretary Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Sarvice Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service Federal Power Commission Regional Engineer Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Coast Guard Atomic Energy Commission Director of Regulation STATE 07 NEW YORK AGENCIES Department of Environmental Conservation LOCAL AGENCIES Westchester County Department of Planning 6. Draft Statement sent to CEQ 28 July 1972 Final Statement sent to CEQ 5 N 3 0 7 I FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT NEW ROCHELLE AND ECHO BAY HARBORS, NEW YORK 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1.01. General. Echo Bay Harbor, shown in Figure 1, is located in the City of Now Rochelle in Westchester County on the north shore of Long Island Souv.1, Now York, about 23 miles by water northeast of the Battery, New York City and 9 miles southwest of the Connecticut- New York line. The harbor consists of an inner bay, about 2,800 feat long and 2,000 feet wide, separated into several branches by peninsulas and islands, and an outer bay about 3,800 feet long and 1,800 feet wide. It is bounded by Davenport Neck to the south, the mainland t;o .the west and north, and Pc ■ u Point to the east. • • ' 1.02. Author .< :--t Lon. A study of New Rochelle and Echo Bay Harbors, New York was authorized by resolutions adopted by the Committee on Pub44^ Works, House of Representatives on 20 July 1955 and 15 August 6l ,Jto determine the advisability of modification of the existingFScferal navigation project. The proposed work would cost the Federal Government less than :$1,000,000 qualifying it for construction by the Chief of Engineers without specific authorization by Congress. Because modification of the existing project at New Rochelle Harbor is not being considered at this time, the environmental statement refers only to Ecko Bay Harbor. 1.03. Existing Federal Project. The existing Federal project in Echo Bay Harbor, adopted by the River and Harbor Act of 1910 (H. Doc. No. 1115, 60th Cong. 2nd Sess.), provides for: a. A channel 10 feet deep at mean low water, 100 feet wide, from the 10 foot contour in Echo Bay to the city wharf at Beaufort Point; b. And a turning basin 10 feet deep at mean low water at the inner extremity of the Federal channel. An inner channel from the Federal channel td the West Branch, maintained by local interests, provides access to commercial terminals located on the West Branch. The inner channel has a controlling width of about 45 feet, and controlling depths have varied from about 2 feet below mean low water to about 6 feet below mean low water. 1.04. Proposed Action. The considered plan of improvement in Echo Bay Harbor provides for an irregularly shaped 34.8 acre anchorage area in Echo Bay. It would be 7 feet deep at mean low water over the 7.7 acres adjacent to the channel, and 6 feet deep at mean low water over tne remaining 27.1 acres. There would be an access channel between \ Premium Point and Echo Island from t'nc 6-foot contour in Echo Bav to the anchorage area, 6 feet deep at mean low water,and 100 feet wide for a distance of about 0.11 mile. The spoil from this project would probably be disposed of in the approved dumping grounds which are located 7 miles each of Sandy Hook Light in the New York Bight. Alternative disposal methods are discussed in ■section 5. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING WITHOUT THE PROPOSED ACTION 2.01. Economy. The area surrounding Echo Eay Harbfnr is generally urban iti character, mainly residential, with some industrial and commercial activity. The mainland to the west and north of Echo Bay combines all the features of urban development, while Premium Point is entirely residential with private homes, Davenport Neck ‘is’"a residential area with both high rise apartment buildings and single family homes. All of the commercial activity is restricted to the West Branch where a fuel oil terminal and a readi-raix concrete batch process are located. 2.02. Waterborne Commerce. Echo Bay Harbor is primarily a recreational harbor, with waterborne commerce limited to the receipt of distillate fuel oil and construction materials. During the 1971 fiscal year, a total of 65,025 tons of waterborne commerce was shipped via the waterway of which 46,600 tons was construction material, and 18,300 tons was distillate fuel oil. 2.03. Transportation. The area contiguous to New Rochelle and Echo Bay is well served by transportation facilities. Paved streets connect with first class highways, including the northern extension of the New York (New England) Thruway and the Hutchinson River Parkway. Other secondary roads, including Boston Post Road (U.S. Route 1), provide ample facilities for vehicular transportation to localities within the beyond adjacent areas. The Penn Central Railroad provides passenger service between Grand Central Station and Pennsylvania Station, New Rochelle with access to many other localities in Westchester County. 2.04. Recreation. Boating is the principal recreational activity in the project area. There are approximately 2,000 pleasure craft permanently based in New Rochelle and Echo Bay Harbors, of which about 1700 have lengths ranging from 14 to 72 feet. Various types of facilities required to serve the pleasure boater's needs exist in the study area. In 1971, there were 2 marinas, a yacht club, a boat yard and a boat livery-marina, located in Echo Bay. Other recreational facilities include: Hudson Park which is a municipal park with picnic areas and a public bathing beach, and numerous private bathing beaches along the shores of Davenport Neck. 2.05. Wo ter Quality. The Interstate E m ! tot ion Commission (ISC) has classified the project 'water as "SB", too.i-e vraers best used for bathing, boating, other secondary-contact recreational activities and transportation. The New Rochelle District water pollution control plant, operated by the County of Westchester,is located on the peninsula formed by the West Branch and the Northeast Branch. The outfall from the sewage treatment plant terminates in the Northeast Branch, west of Clifford Island, approximately 7,500 feet beyond Premium Point. This plant has a capacity to provide primary treatment for 77,200 gallons per day of municipal waste, and serves the City of New Rochelle, the Village of Larchmcnt, the Town of Mamaroneck, and the Village of Pelham Manor. Although there are no known industrial discharges into the project waters, there is some pollution from surface drainage and spillage of petroleum and construction materials into the bay. 2.06. Fish and Wildlife. The harbor is an important waterfowl wintering area, and the intertidal edges and tidal flats contribute to the production of food organisms for both waterfowl and fish. The cove north of Clifford Island is a rich tidal flat. Sea lettuce covers the flat and a good stand of cordgrass (Spartina) rings the cove. An abundance of finfish such as fluke, winter flounder, bluefish, striped bass, weakfish, eel, mackerel, porgy, sea robin and dogfish is generally found throughout the project areas. Lobsters, oysters, clams and crabs are all important shellfish resources that are harvested both privately and commercially. Urban development around Echo Bay and the bay's proximity to New York City allow only moderate numbers of waterfowl to use the area. In the winter, however, as many as 450 ducks and geese can be seen at one time resting and feeding in this cove. In the summer and early autumn, as many as 325 ducks and geese can be sec^there. 2.07. Spoil Disposal Site, The spoil disposal site would be the approved dumping grounds in the New York Bight. High concentrations of heavy metals such as copper, nickel, zinc and lead, the high levels of coliform bacteria are found throughout the waters in this area and adjacent waters. Wildlife is confined mostly to the few species of waterfowl such as scaup, black duck, redhead and canvasback that inhabit the area all year around. Benthic life is restricted to some diseased larger crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters, and a snail number of diseased finfish. Additional information cn the disposal area is in paragraph 3.04. 2.08. Historical, Cultural or Archeological Sites. There are no known historical, cultural or archeological sites in the project area. 2.09. Future Setting. Because of the extensive recreational activities in the Echo Bay area, it is expected that the long-term recreational use of the bay would increase in the future.